Sheet feeding mechanism



Aug. 26, 1952 G. A. GIBSON, JR 2,608,408

SHEET FEEDING [MECHANISM Filed Jan. 15, 1949 4 snees -sneet 1 INVENTOR. 650/? A. 6/5 scw qk v BY w I t K N b- Wm *Q/Wfl 14 TTORNEYS- R W M 2 mo N 4 t NS 9R m Em QYW 0 a G T 6 m. 2 m A. A m M 4 m 6 Ml Y 4 G. A. GIBSON, JR

SHEET FEEDING MECHANISM Aug. 26, 1952 Filed Jan. 15, 1949 Aug. 26, 1952 G. A. GIBSON, JR 2,608,403

' SHEET FEEDING MECHANISM Filed Jan. 15, 1949 4 Sheets-Sheet s iw i E &

, INVENTOR. GE RG: A. 6/15 SON, JR.

)4 )"TORNEYS.

Aug. 26, 1952 a. A. GIBSON, JR 2,608,408

SHEET FEEDING MECHANISM Filed Jan. 15, 1949 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 2d TR/MMED WASTE INVENTOR. 620m: A. Glasolv, Jk.

ATTO/PNL'YS.

.Patcnted Aug- 1952 OFFICE SHEET FEEDING MECHANISM George A. Gibson, J12, New York, N. Y.

Application January 15, 1949, Serial No. 71,103

The present invention relates to a device for cutting, feeding and registering sheets such as paper sheets, for instance.

Objects and advantages of the invention willbe set forth in part hereinafterqand in part willbe obvious herefrom, or may be learned by practice with the invention, the same being realized and attained by means of the instrumentalities and combinations pointed out in the appended claims.

The invention consists in the novelparts, constructions, arrangements, combinations and improvements herein shown anddescribed.

The accompanying-drawings, referred to herein and constituting a part hereof, illustrate an embodiment of the invention, and together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the invention.

Of the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a longitudinal vertical cross sectional view of a typical and illustrative embodiment of the present inventiontaken along line. l-l of Fig. 4;

Fig. 2 is a cross sectional View taken along line 2-2 of Fig. 1; r

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of certain of the sheet registering means of the device as shown in the other figures of the drawings;

Fig. 4 is a top plan view of the sheet cutting and feeding mechanism of the invention;

Fig. 5 is a top-plan schematic view of certain parts of the mechanism illustrated in the other drawings illustrating the operation thereof; and,

Fig. 6 is a side elevation of the cutting and feeding mechanism of the invention, as viewed from the bottom of Fig. 4'only so much being shown as is necessary. to illustrate the driving means for the device.

The present invention has for an object the provision of an improved mechanism for cutting sheets into a number of smaller sheets and there after forwarding and delivering the cut smaller sheets. Another object is the provision of such a mechanism in which the cut sheets are positively separated after cutting whereby interference between them and consequent intermixture of sheets and jamming of the mechanism is prevented. Still another object is the provision of sheet forwarding mechanism jwherein the cut sheets of adjacent columns of cut sheets are positively held in non-interfering relationship and are suitably registered for delivery in sufliciently separated columns. The invention further provides a relatively simple and economical mechanism having the capabilities mentioned above, and one wherein the parts may be easily adjusted for the cutting of sheets of various widths.

9 Claims. (Cl. 271-49) ery mechanism I2.

Referring now in detail to the illustrative embodiment of. the invention shown by way of example in the accompanying drawings, the device comprises generally, as best shown in Figs.

1 and 4, a cutting mechanism 10, a forwarding and registering mechanism H, and a finaldeliv- As shownin Fig. 4, the device of the invention is adapted to cut a sheet such as that indicated by the numeral i4, which may for example be a printed or engraved sheet, into. a plurality of smaller sheets or cards indicated by the numerals l5, [6, I1, 8,19, 20 andZl, the dottedlines in Fig. 4 indicating the lines of separation along which the cutting is effected. ,"The cards l6, l1, l8, l9 and 20, in the illustrative case mentioned, are finished printed or engraved cards, while the smaller strips l5 and 2| are merely side trims which fall beneath the machine as waste. The sheets I 4 are fed continuouslyand cut into a plurality of cards as described, and it is thereafter desired to separate the adjacent advancing columns of cards and deliver the cards in definitely separated columns at the delivery end of the machine, positively holding and positioning the individual cards in their respective columns during advance to prevent intermingling of the cards and jamming of the forwarding machinery. I i i 7 As shown, the sheets [4 are advanced :fo-r'cut ting across a holder board 23 mounted by means of posts 24 upon the upright stationary framework 25. At the forward edge of board 23. are located the Dpr and lower rotatable cutting shafts 28 and 21 respectively, said shafts being journalled for rotatlon'in upper portions 28 ofthe framework. The shafts 26 and 27 are provided with cooperating annular cutting elements 30 and 3! respectively which are held with respectto the shafts for rotation therewith by means of keys 32 and are adjustable axially thereof by means of set screws 33 whereby the cutter may be conveniently adjusted to cut cards of desired widths. 'Ihecutting elementsfifl and3l are'provided with annular, radially outwardly extending cutting blades 34 the adjacent faces of which are closely positioned to effect the cutting action. As shown in Fig. 4, the blade portions 34 of the upper cut-.'

ting elements, 38 are positioned at the endsof said elements toward the bottom of said figure, while the lower cutting elements 3! have their blade portions 34 in opposite relationship. With the cutting elements so positioned, the cards 16, l1, l8, l9 and 20 when out are given an initial tilt when leavingthe cutters, with the higher sides of the cards toward the upper part of Fig.

4 and the lower sides in the direction of the lower 3 part of Fig. 4. Thi initial tilt of the cut cards is preserved and utilized in separating and forwarding the cards by the mechanism to be described next.

As described, the sheets M are registered against the adjustable side guide 36 of the feed board 23, advanced through the cutters, and the resulting cards are received and advanced by means of belts 37, one of which is provided for each column of cut cards being handled. The belts 3'! are carried at the forward end of the mechanism, at which the cards are received, by a driven roller 33 which extends across the mechanism and is suitably journalled for rotation" in side frames 39, which are a part-of the stationary part of the framework and are supported by frames and as shown. The belts 31 at the delivery end of the forwarding and registering mechanism are carried by a plurality of idler rollers 4!, each of which is mounted for free rotation upon a shaft 42, mounted upon a support and guide element indicated generally by the numeral 43. A support and guide element 43 is provided for each of the belts 3'! for handling each column of advancing cards. Each said element 43, as best shown in Fig.8, comprises a bent plate providng a vertical web 44, a horizontal web across which the upper reach of a belt 37 travels and by which it is supported,

' and a second, relatively narrow, vertical rib 4B,

which serves as a guide for the advancing cards of the particular column in which the element 43 is positioned. A boss 41 is secured by means of supporting portion 43 to the horizontal web 45 of each element 43, and is adjustable with respect thereto by means of screws 49, whereby the guide web 46 may be conveniently set. The bosses 4'! are mounted on the framework shaft 50, which extends between the sides 35 of the framework (Fig. 4), and each boss 41 and the entire element 43 carried thereby is thus adjustable sidewise of the mechanisms, said bosses being secured to said shaft 50 by means of set screws 5!. The registering and forwarding mechanism may thus be adjusted for various Width cards to be out, depending upon the ad- .justed distances between the cutting elements clined or tilted with respect to the horizontal,

the higher ends of the shafts being toward the upper part of the machine as shown in Fig. 4,. while the lower ends are toward the lower part of Fig. 4. The belts 31 are thus similarly tilted at the delivery end of the mechanism, and are progressively tilted between their fiat positions around roller 33 and their rollers 4!, the underlying horizontal webs 45 being similarly progressively tilted by twisting about their longitudinal axes toward the delivery end of the mechanism. The lower reaches of belts 31 are engaged by pins carried on arms 56 secured to bosses 4! as shown, said pins serving to compensate said belts for the tilt at rollers 4i, so that they engage over roller 38 normally and will not work axially therealong during operation. V

It will thus be seen that as the cards l5, i1, i8, [9 and 20 are received from the cutters and advanced by their respective belts 31 over respecshipbeing adjustable at screws 49 (Fig. 3)

4 tive elements 43, they are tilted and carried toward the side guide webs 46 for positive registry therewith before delivery from the conveying mechanism. The progressive movement of the cards [6 and [7 toward said side guides and their delivery is illustrated in Fig. 5 of the drawings and, at the same time, the cards are maintained 7 in a tilted position in order to definitely separate them from adjoining columns; and so that there is no interference between the free edge of one card and the adjacent side guide web 4 which relationship is clearly shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings. The elements 43 with their webs 4d, 45 and 46 described are designed likewise to carry the cards of adjoining columns laterally away from each other for definite separation of columns, and for this purpose the ends of said webs toward the delivery end of the mechanism at the right of Fig. 4 are more widely spaced than their ends toward the left of Fig. 4, said relation- This fan shaped arrangement of the registering and forwarding mechanism results in a definite lateral spacement of the cards of the individual columns when they are delivered from the mechanism.

Means for contacting and positioning the cards on the upper reaches of advancing belts 3? are provided, and as'embodied comprise a plurality of rectangular roller mounting elements 69 extending lengthwise of the registering and forwarding mechanism, and being progressively twisted about their longitudinal axes toward the delivery end of the mechanism'so that rotatable rollers 6| carried on'arms 62 pivoted on shafts 63 extending from the sides of elements as will ride squarely upon the progressively tilted upper reaches of the belts. Said elements iii! are provided with U-shaped brackets 64 whereby they are mounted on a'rectang ular shaft 65 extending between bracketsBS at either side of the mechanism, said brackets being a part of the stationary framework. The rectangular roller mounting elements 6B are adjustably held on shaft 65 by set screws 6?, so that said elements and the rollers 6! carried thereby may be positioned over their respective beltsii'l and belt supporting elements 43, and adjusted sidewise of the mechanism therewith for varying widths of cards out and to be forwarded. IniFig. 2' of the drawings there is illustrated the convenient manner in which the roller carrying element 60 toward the right of the mechanism may be moved out of operatin position when a column of-cards at that position is not being forwarded. The belt supporting element 43 may be left in position if desired, as the tilt of the cards in the nearest column prevents interference therewith. It will be understood that several of the cooperating roller and supporting elements 60 and 43 may be loosened and positioned at a side of the mechanism when not in use. The rollers 6| are arranged above their respective belts 3! so as to be somewhat offcenter in thedirection of the side guide webs 4t, and the belts 3'! are normally slightly spaced above horizontal supporting webs 45 as they lie adjacent 'the'drive roller 38 for the belts. Thus,

the'initial tilt which the advancing out cards have when leaving the cutters is preserved as the cards are first received on the belts, as the rollers iii bear downon the sides of the belts and slightly incline the belts; and thus thecards held thereon.

From the registering and forwarding mechanism' IS the cards are delivered to the final de- 7 livering mechanism l2, which as shown comprises relatively wide belts 10 moving across supportacross a suitable idler roller (not shown) at the delivery end of the mechanism. A plurality of plates 13 are mounted upon shafts l4 and 15 extending crosswise of the machine and held in framework 16 thereof, and are held for lateral adjustment by means of set screws TI. The plates 73 are set to receive the advancing columns of cards which have been out, separated, forwarded and delivered by the mechanism described, and the plates prevent dislocation of the cards of the columns as they are delivered to and positioned on the final delivery belts 1B.

The final delivery belts ill are driven more slowly than the forwarding belts 31 so that the cards are allowed to accumulate on the belts III in overlapped form for convenient final handling. The driving means for the mechanism described is illustrated in Fig. 6 of the drawings, wherein an electric motor 8!] driving pulley 8| drives belt 82 to drive pulley 83. Said pulley 83 drives double pulley 84 which drives belt 85 to drive pulley 86 fixed on the lower cutter shaft 21, and the cutter shafts 26 and 21 are suitable geared together so that the former is driven from the latter by means of gearing 8'! at their ends (Fig. 4)

As further shown in Fig. 6, areversed belt 88 is also driven from double pulley 84, driving pulley 89 and thereby gearing 90-9| to drive sprocket 92, chain 93, and thereby sprocket 94 fixed with respect to drive roller 12 of the final delivery belts 10.

A pulley 96 also driven by pulley 89 drives reversed belt 91 to drive pulley 93 which is fixed for rotation with drive roller 38 for the plurality of belts 31.

With the mechanism shown and described it will be apparent that cutting, forwarding and delivery means are provided which give an initial tilt to the cut cards and preserve said tilt as the cards are further handled in order to separate them and prevent interference between themselves and the conveyor mechanism. The cards are further positively held as they are forwarded and suitably registered and guided into columns which are adequately separated for delivery completely free of each other in lateral spacement.

The invention in its broader aspects is not limited to the specific mechanisms shown and 1' described but departures may be made therefrom, within the scope of the accompanying claims, without departing from the principles of the invention and without sacrificing its chief advantages.

What I claim is:

1. A card conveyor comprising, in combination, a plurality of belts having upper reaches for receiving and advancing the cards said upper reaches being progressively inclined to the horizontal in the direction of movement of the cards, side guiding means for the cards at the edge of lower inclination of each said belt, and means for progressively moving the cards on each belt toward and against said guiding means as the cards advance along the belt.

2. A card conveyor comprising, in combination, a plurality of belts having upper reaches for receiving and advancing the cards said upper reaches being progressively inclined to the horizontal in the direction of movement of the cards and a plurality of rollers above each said belt spaced from each other longitudinally of said belts for contacting and holding cards on said upper reaches, said rollers being inclined in accordance with the inclinationof. he. underlying belt pp r reach. a

3. A card conveyor comprising, in combination,

a plurality of belts having upper reaches for receiving and advancing thelcards said upper reaches being progressively inclined'to the horizontal in the direction of movementof the cards and a side guide for the cards carried by each belt each said guide extending longitudinally of its said belt and positioned at the edgeof lower inclination of said belt; said"inclinationiof"said belt upper reaches being sufiicient to prevent interference between the cards on one belt and the card side guide foran' adjoiningtbelt.

4. A card conveyor comprising, in combination, a belt, supporting means. forsaid belt including a roller, inclined to the horizontal for the end of said belt at the delivery end of said conveyor, a web to underlie and support the upper reach of said belt said web being progressively inclined to the horizontal toward saiddelivery end of said conveyor, a second substantially horizontal roller for said belt at the card receiving end of said'conveyor, and a plurality of rollers spaced from each other longitudinally of. said belt and positioned to engage the upper reach thereof.

5. A card conveyor comprising, in combination, a belt, supporting means for said belt including a roller inclined to the horizontal for the end of said belt at the delivery end of said conveyor, a web to underlie and support the upper reach of said belt said web being progressively inclined to the horizontal toward said delivery end of said conveyor, a second substantially horizontal roller for said belt at the card receiving end of said conveyor and roller means above said belt for holding cards on the upper reach thereof said means including rollers having axes inclined to correspond with the inclination of the upper reach of said belt effected by said inclined roller and web.

6. A card conveyor comprising, in combination, means for advancing adjacent columns of cards and progressively inclining said cards about their axis of forward travel as they move through the conveyor said means including endless belts the upper reaches whereof are progressively inclined, means for moving the cards adjacent columns laterally apart as they progress through the conveyor, said conveyor including side guiding means for the cards of each column positioned toward the lower lateral edges of said cards, and means for progressively moving the cards of each column toward and against said guiding means as the cards advance along the conveyor, said last means including rotary elements above said belts adapted to engage cards on the upper reaches of said belts.

7. A card conveyor for receiving cards from a cutting mechanism in a horizontal position and forwarding the cards in a progressively and increasingly inclined position, comprising, in combination, a driven belt to receive cards from the cutting mechanism at one end of the belt upon the upper reach thereof, a tilted support for said belt, said support being tilted in a direction transverse to the direction of travel of said belt, and a rotary member above the belt mounted for free vertical movement toward and away from the belt to engage and be supported by the upper reach thereof at a position displaced from the lateral midpoint thereof and adiacent said one end of said belt whereby said belt it tilted by the weight of said rotary member to maintain the cards in inclined position.

- 8, A cardlconveyor for receiving cards from a cutting mechanism in a horizontal position and forwarding the cards in a progressively and increasingly inclined position, comprising, incombination, a driven belt to receive cards from the cutting mechanism at. one end of the belt upon the upper reach thereof, one lateral edge of said plate downwardly spaced from the upper reach of said belt and the other edge of said plate adjacent to and supporting the upper reach of said'belt, and a roller member above the belt mounted for free vertical movement toward and away from the belt to engage and be supported by the upper reach thereof above said portion of said plate at aposition displaced from the lateral midpoint of the belt and adjacent said one end thereof, whereby said belt is tilted by the weight of said roller to an extent limited by said plate portion to maintain the cards in in: clined position.

9. A card conveyor comprising, in combination, means including traveling endless belts for receiving adjacent moving columns of cards on the upper reaches thereof, said reaches being initially horizontal and progressively and increasingly inclined to the'horizontal about the axis of forward travel of the cards as the upper reaches travel forwardly, each card being substantially horizontal. when received by the belts and advanced in a progressively and increasingly inclined position, guiding means for each column of cards positioned toward the lower lateral edges of said cards when positioned on the upper reaches of said belts, said guiding means being spaced further apart at the exit end of said conveyor than at the receiving end of said conveyor, and means for progressively moving the cards of each column toward and against said guiding means as the cards advance along said conveyor, said means including a plurality of separate rotary elements above each said belt adapted to engage cards on the upper reaches of said belts.

BENJAMIN A. GIBSON, JR.

REFERENCES CITED- The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 671,508 Bartlau Apr. 9, 1901 1,541,651 Matlack June 9, 1925 1,951,389 Anthony Mar. 20, 1934 2,010,567 Schwamb et al Aug. 6, 1935 2,141,212 Kimball et a1 Dec. 27, 1938 2,156,419 Zomnir May 2, 1939 2,288,523 Grupe et a1 June 30, 1942 2,347,254 Cox Apr. 25, 194 1 

